‘Matara Malli’ arrested over gems, diamonds robbery

A 38-year-old suspect Thisitha Maduranga alias ' Matara Malli' has been arrested yesterday in connection with a robbery of gems and diamonds in Pannipitiya last month.

Police said the robbers who were dressed similarly to policemen had entered a house at Araliyapura, Arawwala in Pannipitiya on November 5 and assaulted the owner of the house to rob gems and diamonds.

They said a foreign national who was in the house to buy gems and diamonds at the time of the incident had also been kidnapped by the robbers.

Matara Malli who is a resident of Rotumba, Matara was arrested by the officials of the Mirihana Special Crimes Investigation Unit near a fuel station at the Maliban Junction, Ratmalana yesterday evening.

He would be produced in the Nugegoda Magistrate's Court today.(Darshana Sanjeewa)